Filing device



Oct. 21, 1941. J. w. WHITSON 2,260,069

FILING'DEVICE Filed Oct. 31, 21939 Inventor":

John Withers on Wh itson,

Y I y M /1Q Hls A to may.

Patented Oct. 21, 1941 UNITED STATES ATNT GFFECE 2,266,063 more nsvrcn John Wither-spoon Whitson, Sprhigfleld; Mass,

.assignor to Electrofiie, 1:10., Albany, Y... a

corporation of New York Application October 3i, 1939 Serial No. 362,215

(Cl. res-ass) 6 Claims.

ginal openings in horizontally aligned relation.

so that a rod or selector inserted in any opening in the front card in the tray may be pushed through the corresponding opening in each of the cards in the stack and the rodthen used to lift the cards from the file. In order that all cards excepting those relating to a certain class index may be removed by the rod leaving only the cards relating to this index in the tray, the same marginal edge portion of all cards in each particular class indexed is punched out so that, when the selecting rod is passed through the proper openings and lifted, all cards, except those in the particular index will be raised from the tray. Where the'selecting rod passes through a marginal notch in. the card instead of a hole, the lifting of the rod merely raises it from the notch without lifting the card,

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a novel form of tab and the combination of a card with such a tab whereby the utility of the file is substantially enhanced. For example, by applying my tabs to all cards in a particular sub-class, and in which any one card may be only temporarily classified, it is possible by pushing the selecting rod through the open-.- ings in the tabs to remove from, the tray all cards in this sub-class. By removing the tab thereon any card is restored to its original status. Another object is to provide a tab and cardtab combination in whiolggthe thickness of the assembly is made as small as possible. Another object is to provide a tab or a card-tab combination whereby certain desired cards may be withdrawn from a tray leaving all undesired cards in the .tray instead of withdrawing all undesired cards and leaving only the desired cards. A further object is to provide a tab of such character that it can be positively secured to the card to view of a. card and tab combination showing the overlie a slot or notch cut in the margin of the card.

With these objects in view, my invention includes the novel elements and the combinations and arrangements thereof described below and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which- Fig. 1 is an elevation view of a card showing several of my tabs applied thereto;

tab bent to finished form and inserted in the card.

In the drawing, i represents a card having spaced circular openings i numbered from i to 30 adjacent the upper marginal edge thereof. Below each opening 2 the card is provided with a slit 3. In use, marginal portions of the cards adjacent certain of the openings 2 are punched out or notched as shown at 6, so that when a selector is pushed through the corresponding openings in the other cards, and lifted, it does not engage the notched cards which remain in the tray as all the other cards are lifted out on the selector.

My tab, represented generally by the numeral 5, is formed of thin gauge bendable; sheet metal or similar material. It is preferably rounded at one end, as shown at 6, and tapers from about the middle to a blunt point at the opposite end i'. The upper central portion of the tab is slitted, as shown at 8, and, in the finished form, the centra. portion or tongue within the slits is struck out at right angles to the body of the tab, as shown at 9 in Fig. 4, thus leaving an opening it] in the body through which a selector may be thrust. The tapered end of the tab is also bent outwardly at right angles to the body of the tab,,as shown at H in Fig. 4; the distance D beween the lines of bend being equal to the distance D between the top edge of the card and the row of slits 3. li hus, when the end 1 of the tab is inserted in "a slit 3 the tongue 9 will fit closely over the top edge of the card, as shown in Fig. 4. In order to secure the tab to the card the tongue 9 is bent downwardly into close engagement with the sideiQ-fijthe card and the tapered portion H is bent ,"upwardly to overlie the tongue 9, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. It will be noted from Fig. 2 that the end of the tongue 9 overlies the opening 2 in the card, and that the tapered end a of the tab overlies the end of the tongue. These portions of the tab may be easily bent with the fingers into the position shown in Fig. 2, and the tongue and end portion of the tab, which are superposed, both' overlie the opening 2 and may be pressed into the opening, as shown at i2, by means of any suitable instrument, thus reducing the overall thickness of the tab-card The fact that my tab is so designed that the end I overlies the end of the tongue 9 and both overlie the hole 2 in, the card is quite important because it permits the tab to be easily removed without damage to the card. The insertion of a pointed instrument, such as the point of a penknife blade, beneath the end 1 of the tab and between the tab and the end of the tongue permits the end 1 to be raised and bent-back to the position shown in Fig. 4 without danger of penetrating the card with the instrument employed, and similarly, the pointed instrument may be. inserted in the hole 2 beneath the end of tongue 9 to bend the tongue back into the position shown in Fig. 4,thus permitting the tab to be easily pulled from the card.

It will be obvious that, in removing a tab which is so designed that the portions bent over the card have their ends lying directly against the surface of the card, a pointed instrument inserted beneath the bent-over portion will be in contact with the surface of the card itself and that damage to the card will be practically inevitable, On the other hand, with my tab-card combination in which the card has an opening under the tab the instrument used in liftinglthe thin, bendable, sheet material having one end portion thereof bent at a substantial angle to said body and also a tongue portion struck out of said body to provide an opening therein adapted to receive a selector rod and bent outwardly in the same direction as said end and along a line parallel to the line along which said end is bent;

the lengths of said end portion and said tongue and the distance between the lines of bend thereof being so correlated that said tongue and said end portion will be partially superposed when folded substantially flat against said body.

2. The combination with a card provided with a slit therein adjacent one edge, of a tab of thin,

' assembly where the portions of the tab are superposed.

struck-out, tongue bent over and embracing said edge, and an end of said tab extending through said slit and overfolded upon said tongue;

whereby a pointed instrument maybe inserted between said overfolded portions to separate them and facilitate the removal ofsaid tab from said card without injury to the card.

3. The combination with a card provided with a slit therein adjacent one edge, and an opening intermediate said edge and slit, of a tab of thin, bendable sheet material having an integral, struck-out, tongue bent over and embracing said edge, and an end of said tab extending through said slit and overfolded upon said tongue; the end of said tongue overlying said opening; whereby a pointed instrument may be inserted between said overfolded portions and also in said opening beneath said tongue to facilitate removal of said tab from said card without injury to the card.

4. The combination with a card provided with a slit-thereinadjacent one edge, and a notch extending inwardly from said edge to a zone intermediate said edge and said slit, of a tab of thin, bendable sheet material having an integral, struck-out, tongue bent over and embrac ing said edge, and an end of said tab extending through said slit and overfolded upon said tongue; the end of said tongue overlying said notch; whereby a pointed instrument may be inserted between said overfolded portions and also in said notchbeneath said tongue to facilitate removal of said tab from said card without' injury to the card.

5. A card, adapted for use in a card index, provided with a plurality of aligned, spaced slits therein adjacent one edge, and aligned, spaced holes therein intermediate said edge and said slits; said holes being of suflicient size to permit the free passage of a selector rod therethrough, and the size of said slits being substantially less than the size of said holes and less than will permit the passage of said rod.

bendable sheet material having an integral,

6. A card tab comprising a body formed of thin, bendable, sheet material having one end thereof extending at a substantial angle from the body of said tab and a centrally disposed tongue portion bent out from the body of said tab and extending at a substantial angle to said body on the same side thereof as said end; said angularly extending end and said tongue bein of such length as partially to overlap when bent fiat against said body.

" JOHN WI'I'HERSPOON WHITSON. 

